Pneumatic knee pad



Jan. s, 1924. ,4so,374

W. D. OVINGTON PNEUMAT I C KNEE PAD Filed April 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Shee't 1 /W j %i r jan. 8 1924.

W. D. COVINGTON PNEUMATIC KNEE PAD Filed April 5, 1921 2 shans-sheet 2 kto: weq

Patented `Ian. 8, 1924.

#U ITED 'STATES- PATE-NT WI LIAM DAvIscovmGTomoFVERNOETEXA&

PNEUM T C u A lication filed April 5,

To all w kom it' may oo'rcm Be it known 'that I, WILLIAM 'DAvIs" Gov- INGTON, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Vernon, in `'the 'County 'of Wilbarger end 'State of Texas,-'have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements 1I1 Pneumatic Knee Pads, of which the followin is a specfication. i

*his 'invention 5 relates to pneumatc knee paidsgen'd more particularly to that class of devices-adapte'dto be 'attached to 'the kiees of a'workman top-revent-the a-brasion of the kne'e and protection for the Clothing One 'of the' objects of the present invention is to improve the constructionof knee pads and =to provide e -simple,-yet 'durable and-efficient pad designed for cotton pckers, carpenters and other mechanic's and which will present a soft surface for the knee and prevent injurythereo'f while workingin a field, or *on a hard, cement floor ;and which may be comfortebly worn by the workma'n at all times when in a lmeeling position. v

A still -`further object ofthe invention is the Construction, of a :novel and improved knee pad `for ;attachment to the :leg of a wonkman :such 'us :a cotton picker, or other mechanic wher-ein a; pneumatic cushion 'is afi'orded: to protect the knee cap from injury andstrain incident *to remaining in a, `kneeL- ing position for a long duraton of time, and which` pad will permit a person -to Walk easily without'removing the same. i

Another and :very important object of'the invention is =the Construction of' a `pneuma tic kneepad of the type above set forth wherein fa aremovztble :pneumati'c cushioning element is 'provided for infiation to any 'desireddegree .to maintain 'the weight of 'the body end protect theknees from injury 'includ-ing provision' for i-n'fiating' 'the 'bladder while retained 'by 'the knee =pa;d.

An incidental' object of the invention' is the Construction of a knee pad which will be extremely simple in design, consis'ting of comp-aratively few parte, inexpensive to manufacture highly eflicient -i-n use for its intended purposes, strong, durable, and capable of universal use for the needs of agriculturel as well as mechanical workers.

With these objects in View and others which will be manifest and suggested as the KN E ren.

1921;- sjmyminsese) v --purposennd neture of *my invention ere re 'vea led n` th e following 'specificationfiand drawings 'wherein I haVe shown *a preferred embodiment there'of,

I `-i g ;ure l ise perspective viewshowing* the'kneepadwhenworn. v

Fig. -3`is longitudinl sectional-Viwfof' the pad as shown in F ig. 1. B g. 4: i san end View 5 is a 'dettil sect onal view' sho-wing =the inner bladder and the infiatintub.

prot'ecting element -is =vertically disposed and extends atright-'engles with respect 'to the forwa rd end of 'the supporting member, 'as

*tecting member or element, each formed of 'fiexible material, prefer ably lether. 'The' well as being' hingedto theb'ottom o f the 7 supporting member. V The supporting member or element conssts 'of abody portion which is semi-oval in cross section and comprises a curved bottom 12' and -a pair .of si'des 12. The body ;portion 'is' `open at each ;end 'and at its' top,

'and 'Secured totheinner face of' each of the' sides 112, ofthebody portion, in 'any suitble mann'er, preferably by stitching, is a fflat lengthwise iextending' rectngular "fleXi-ble [strip 13, of'2i` length*toextend from the reer end ;of andproject be ond the ;forwardend of the body; portion. nterposed between the rear Bndgdf 'the strip 13, andthe rear ends ofthe si'des 12 o f the body portion swell as be ng Secured to said strip ;and sid sides, preferztb'ly by 'stitching is 'a ve'rticztllyj disposed end closurel, forned of `anysuitable e fleXible material prefertbly' leather. p The closure 14:, in connection with the strip 3, and'bo'dy portionprovides a semi-cylindrical pocket, closed at its rear end and opened at its forwardend, an'dlin whic'h 'is mounted a pneumatic cushionin *element '15, :pro- Vided with' 'a vztlved air inlet nipple '16% which projects "outwardly "through 'one of the sides 12, of the body portion. The nipple 16 is employed for infiating the element 15, when desired.

The protecting member is hinged, at its lower end, with the forward terminus of the ioo body portion of the supporting member and is constructed of flexible material, preferably leather, in fact the protecting member is formed from the extension of the material from which the supporting member is constructed, and the said protecting member consists of a vertically disposed body portion 11, which is semi-oval in plan and gradually decreases in width downwardly, or in other words, the body portion 11, is tapered inside elevation. The body portion 11, is of greater height than the supporting member, as well as' overlapping the forward ends of the sdes 12, of the body ortion of the supporting member The si es 11', of the bodyporton 11, of the protecting member the lower termini thereof disconnected from the supporting member, whereby when the protecting member is in its normal` vertcal position, the'sides thereof will project rearwardly with respect to the supporting,

member. w

The fiexible strip 13, as before stated, projects' beyond the forward end of the body portion and the projecting portion of `the strip 13, extends into the protecting member and abuts against the inner face of the front wall of the latter.

The semi-cylindrical pocket formed by the closure 14, strip 13 and body portion of the support-ing member, provides for the convenient removal and insertion of the cushioning element 15, when occasion requires, or if the cushioning element 15, should become damaged it can be removed and a new one substituted.

To provide for securing the supporting and protecting members to the leg of the wearer, the rear end of the body portion has connected thereto one end of a strap 16, and

said rear end of the body portion of the sup-' porting member is also provided with a buckle 17, to which the strap 16, is adapted to be connected. The top of the protectin member, at the rear thereof, has Secured thereto a strap 18, and has furthermore serured therewith a buckle 19, to which the strap 18 is adapted to be connected with. The strap 16, is vertically disposed, -but the strap 18, extends rearwardly and at an inclinaton 'and the manner of positioning the strap with respect to the wearer of the pad is shown in Figure 1.

For the purpose of maintaining the protecting member vertically disposed with respect to the forward end of the supporting member, a pair of rearwardly extending straps 20, are Secured to the sides 11' of the protecting member, and which are adapted to connect with buckles 21, Secured to the sides 12, of the body portion of the supportin member.

Vhen the side straps 20, are released from i the buckle 21, the leg may be straightened without loosening or disconnecting the pad from the wearer, under such ,conditions rmitting the pad to be worn at all times w en in the field or engaged in other work.

The protectng member prevents the entry of dust, dirt or gravel within the pocket or beneath the knee, when the pad is Secured to the leg of the wearer ,and furthermore, the i illustrated my inventi'on embodied in one form by way of example, and which inprac tice has been'founcl to be highly satisfactory in obtaining the desired results. It will be obvious however that other embodiments may be adopted and that various changes resorted to by those skilled in the artin the details of Construction may without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is furthermoreeunderstood that the invention is not necessarily` limited or restricted to the precise elements shown except in so far as such limitations are specified in the subject matter being claimed.

Having shown and described my inven a tion what I 'now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten-t of the United States is A knee pad comprising a horizontallydisposed semi-oval shapecl supporting element, a vertically disposed tapering member hinged at the lower termnus of its front to the forward terminus of the bottom of said element, said member overlapp-ing protecting throughout and extending above the forward r terminal portion of said element and further projecting forwardly from said termi:

nal portion, a vertical closure and a longitudinally extending fiat strip 'Secured together and arranged within-and Secured Ito e said element and providing in connection therewith a semi-cylindrical pocket o en at the forwardend of said element an with said hinged member constituting the sole` closure for the open end of said pocket, a cushioning elementmounted in and con-` forming in contour` to the shape of :the pocket,= and an attaching means forsaid 'ele'- ment and member.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa-.

ture hereto.

WILLIAM DAVIS COVINGrTON'.` 

